The Trust believes that developing sustainable tourism – particularly heritage-based tourism – is crucial to the long-term economic future of St Helena. We were therefore pleased to host Catherine Leech an international tourism consultant on her recent visit. Catherine was coming to see the island’s tourism assets for herself, and to suggest ways to increase the number of visitors the island attracts. We took Catherine to see a number of the Trust’s conservation projects, and she was impressed with the breadth and passion of our work. Her report, which is due to be published in December 2009, emphasises the importance of the island’s historic environment and the Trust’s role in protecting it.